UN: UN officials, workers, Stevie Wonder to celebrate Mandela Day on 18 July

New York, US (PANA) - The UN General Assembly will mark Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July, with an informal meeting at UN headquarters in New York, which will feature remarks by the President of the General Assembly, UN Deputy Secretary-General, the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN, and UN Messenger of Peace, Stevie Wonder.

A UN statement on Friday also said that UN workers around the world will engage in public service activities through voluntary work in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Zambia.

The statement, obtained by PANA in New York, said UN senior officials will join UN personnel at the UN headquarters to donate used professional clothing materials to New Yorkers in need under the initiative "Dress for Success", which empowers women to achieve economic independence, and "Bottomless Closet", which supports economically disadvantaged women in securing a job.

The UN workers will also give out clothing materials and other wearing apparels under the initiative "Career Gear", which helps men in poverty become stronger contributors to their families and communities.

Also, the workers will deliver meals to victims of domestic violence run by an NGO, "Safe Horizon", as well as to the elderly and homeless people around New York City through "Citymeals on Wheels".

The UN General Assembly declared 18 July (Mandela's birthday), as Nelson Mandela International Day, in recognition Mandela’s contributions to democracy, racial justice, and reconciliation, and his service to humanity,

Every year since 2010, on 18 July, individuals around the world are encouraged to devote 67 minutes to helping others.

The campaign: "Take Action, Inspire Change" is based on people devoting one minute of their time for every year that Nelson Mandela devoted to public service, as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected President of South Africa.
-0- PANA AA/VAO 15July2016